Partner - Financial Services and FinTech Leader
L.E.K. Consulting
Aaron Byrne is a Partner at L.E.K. Consulting, where he leads the firm’s Financial Services and FinTech practice. With over +18 years of experience advising Financial Service CEOs and executive teams, Aaron brings deep expertise to the evolving landscape of banking and payments. His work focuses on helping institutions navigate strategic opportunities and challenges including embedded finance, digital transformation, open banking, and the broader fintech ecosystem. A recognized thought leader, Aaron has published extensively on topics including embedded finance strategies, the impact of generative AI on financial services, and the evolving dynamics of digital assets (see recent articles online). His experience spans a wide range of financial sectors from all areas of banking and payments to emerging fintech and digital asset players. Additionally, he has served non-Financial Services institutions growing their embedded finance propositions. Aaron has led large-scale strategy, transformation, and transaction efforts for clients across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Prior to joining L.E.K., Aaron led the Global and Americas Financial Services sector practices for another global strategy consultancy. He holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design from Texas A&M University, and has completed executive programs at institutions including Kellogg, INSEAD, Harvard, and Yale, focused on areas such as Generative AI and Sustainable Finance.
The explosive growth of embedded finance globally confirms a radical shift by consumers and businesses to financial services that are instant, convenient and tailored to meet their individual needs, particularly around payments and lending. The vast opportunities to create new distribution channels, reduce customer acquisition costs and increase revenue streams for banks, however, are not without risks. Operational models can be complex and regulatory liability is mounting, with increasing pressure for sponsor banks to manage risks tied to Know-Your-Customer and anti-money-laundering requirements across partnerships with Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) providers and end brands.
Among the things you’ll learn: